American Hustle

Writer/Director David O. Russell’s American Hustle is a fun romp, mainly due to the fact the main characters…Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence…are playing against their usual types and, for an extra treat, Robert DeNiro gives one of his most frightening performances in a small, but memorable, role.  (You’d never want to meet the guy he played.)

The film’s only flaw is that it gets off to a slow start with a bit too much setup.  However, once Jennifer Lawrence comes on the scene, sparks fly and continue to build into an intricate and surprising plot that produces complete viewer enjoyment.

 

It’s truly amazing to see Ms. Lawrence in comparison to her role in The Hunger Games. She is at the top of her game and elevates herself over the excellent performances by the rest of the cast.

As usual with a good story, I won’t discuss it because I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment by giving anything away.  All I'll say is that the art of survival is a story that never ends.

I give American Hustle a 4+ out of 5.